Rain, wind set to hit Bay Area today, with stronger storms on the way

This NOAA satellite image taken Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, at 1:00 a.m. EST shows storms off the Coast of the Western U.S. poised to move inland today with rain. High clouds are moving across the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions.

The first in a series of storms expected to sweep across the Bay Area is making its way through the region this morning and could deliver as much as 1 to 2 inches of rain to higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service.

And this system is just an appetizer for more powerful systems to come later in the week.

The weather service is predicting periods of heavy rain through the weekend, which could potentially deliver as much as 10 to 12 inches of rain to the North Bay and higher elevations, according to forecaster Logan Johnson of the weather service. Following today's system, which is expected to move quickly through the Bay Area, a second and third round of showers are expected Thursday and Saturday.

"It will definitely be a very beneficial rainfall," Johnson said. "We just always hope it doesn't come too much too quickly."

The first period of rain is expected to move quickly through the Bay Area today. The weather service has issued a wind advisory this morning until 11 a.m., with strong and gusty winds expected during the morning commute, according to the weather service. Wind gusts are expected to be strong enough in some areas to bring down weakened trees and branches.

"We do expect winds to crank up this morning," Johnson said.

Early measurements from the National Weather Service showed the strongest gusts, of almost 80 mph, at Mt. Poverty, with peak winds at Mount Diablo nearing 70 mph.

Major delays of almost four hours were reported for arriving flights at San Francisco International Airport as winds surged in coastal areas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The late arrivals were also causing delays in departures; travelers were strongly advised to call their airline before heading to the airport.

PG&E crews were in place throughout the Bay Area to repair any fallen power lines.

As of about 9:45 a.m., the largest outage was in Pacifica, where about 1,120 customers were without power. Their service was expected to be restored by about noon, according to PG&E spokesman Jason King.

Smaller outages of fewer than 500 customers were reported in Woodside, Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, and should also be restored between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., King added.

The rain should lighten up tonight, with just a few scattered showers, before clearing out for a more powerful system set to arrive Thursday, Johnson said.

"That one will be stronger and feature more rainfall," Johnson said.

The third and most potent system is expected to hit the Bay Area on Saturday. San Jose could potentially receive several inches of rain, Johnson said.